1. What is chiropractic care?

2. Is chiropratic care safe?

3. How does chiropractic work?

4. What does a chiropractor do?

5. At what age should chiropractic begin?

6. Why do children need chiropractic care?

7. How long will I need chiropractic care?

8. Am I too old for chiropractic care?

9. What is an adjustment?

10. Why is an adjustment needed?

11. Do chiropractic adjustments hurt?

12. Are all patients adjusted the same way?

13. What causes the sound of an adjustment?

14. Can chiropractic prevent back surgery?

15. Can a broken back or neck be treated?

16. Can you help headaches & migraines?

17. How does chiropractic help leg pain & sciatica?

18. Is chiropractic care saf for pregnant women?

Q. What is chiropractic care?

A. Chiropractic care is a natural method of health care that treats the causes of physical problems rather than just the symptoms, which include pain.

Back to top.

Q. Is chiropractic care safe?

A. Yes. Chiropractic care is among the safest of the healing arts since it is noninvasive and not burdened by the inherent risks and side effects associated with taking medication. Having your spinal nerve stress corrected is important, no matter what other type of health care you are receiving. 

Back to top.

Q. How does chiropractic work?

A. The chiropractic approach to better health is to locate and help remove interference which inhibits your natural state of well being. A common condition which interferes with the nervous system is the abnormal movement or positioning of any of the 24 moving bones of the spinal column. A loss of normal motion or position of these bones can irritate or impair the function of the nervous system. This can disrupt the transmission of controlling nerve impulses. With improved spinal function there is often improved nervous system function. Your chiropractor can help remove interferences that may be impairing normal health.

Back to top.

Q. What does a chiropractor do?

A.Chiropractors do not treat conditions - instead, they correct a major cause of disease or lack of body harmony, the vertebral subluxation complex. Vertebral subluxations are very common and often painless. That's why chiropractors suggest spinal checkups for all members of the family.

Back to top.

 Q. At what age should chiropractic begin?

Newborns have received received spinal adjustments, especially after difficult or traumatic births. There are case histories of infants close to death who were adjusted in hospitals with seemingly miraculous recoveries. It is advised to have children's backs checked periodically during their growth phase in order to have misalignments corrected before they become severe.

Back to top.

Q. Why do children need chiropractic care?

A. Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked for vertical subluxation complex. Later, learning to walk, ride a bicycle, and other activities can cause spinal problems. While a bandage and some comforting words can help a skinned knee, the unseen damage to the child's spine is the unique domain of a chiropractic doctor. Many childhood health complaints that are brushed off as "growing pains" can often be traced to the spine. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify these problems and help avoid many of the health complaints seen in later in adults. Naturally, chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to a child's spine. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and seem healthier than other children.

Back to top.

Q. How long will I need chiropractic care?

A. Spinal problems, neglected since early childhood, may require ongoing supportive care for optimum spinal function. These long-standing problems are often associated with muscle weakness, soft tissue damage, and degenerative changes to the spine. This also depends on your condition, age, and level of spinal degeneration. In most cases, pain relief can be achieved within one to two weeks. Correction of the spine, which gives long lasting results takes longer. How long you decide to benefit from chiropractic care is always up to you.

Back to top.

Q. Am I too old for chiropractic care?

A. More and more people are consulting chiropractic doctors, especially in their later years. With growing concerns about over-medication and the side effects of combining various prescription drugs, safe, natural chiropractic care is growing in popularity. Like the rest of your body, without proper care your spine begins to degenerate over time. The result of everyday stress can result in a spine that is out of alignment, causing joint stiffness and leaving the body functioning at a less than optimal level. Chiropractic adjustments can restore joint mobility and the overall health of your spine. Adjustments can help to reduce swelling and irritation, relieve pain, and slow degeneration, all conditions often seen in the senior years.

Back to top.

Q. What is an adjustment?

A. A chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is fixated, "locked up", or not moving properly, in order to remove vertebral subluxations. This adds motion to the joint, helping the bones gradually return to a more normal position and motion. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is improved spinal function, improved nervous system function, and improved health. Usually the doctor's hands or a specially designed instrument delivers a brief and highly-accurate thrust. Some adjusting methods are quick, whereas others require a slow and constant pressure.

Back to top.

Q. Why is an adjustment needed?

A. The moving bones of the spine, which are designed to protect the spinal cord and nerve roots, sometimes become fixated or "locked up", forcing other joints to move too much. These problems can distort normal spine curves, compromise proper function, and even cause compensation reactions in other areas. Adjustments help bones gradually return to a more normal position by adding motion to a joint.

Back to top.

Q. Do chiropractic adjustments hurt?

A. The treatment given to patients is gentle and safe. Chiropractic care should not be painful during or after being "adjusted". Various techniques are used to help the body respond to care. During the initial treatment phase, there may be some discomfort for several hours following the appointment as the patient's body becomes adjusted to the corrected alignment. Usually, your treatment is pain-free and you can feel positive results right away, especially in terms of decreased pain and increased mobility.

Back to top.

Q. Are all patients adjusted the same way?

A. Every patient presents a uniquely different spinal pattern. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Some patients who complain of headaches may actually have a lower back problem that is causing a compensation reaction at the base of the skull. Other patients may be experiencing numbness and tingling in their fingers when the actual problem is in the neck. While visits may seem similar, each patient's care is uniquely different from every other patient.

Back to top.

Q. What causes the sound of an adjustment?

A. During joint manipulation you can often hear "cracking" or "popping" sounds. These sounds are generated when carbon dioxide and other gases are released from your joint fluid during rapid distraction of the joint surfaces. The effect is similar to the bubbling and "hissing" you hear when you open a pop bottle or can and in no way harms your joints. Actually, not all adjusting techniques produce the sound associated with "popping knuckles." Some create no sound at all, some a little.

Back to top.

Q. Can chiropractic prevent back surgery?

A. In a majority of cases, chiropractic can definitely prevent back surgery. It is an unfortunate fact that half of those who had spinal surgery discover a return of their original symptoms months or years later, facing the prospect of additional surgery. This too common occurrence is known as "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome." Chiropractic may help prevent repeated operations.

Back to top.

Q. Can a broken back or neck be treated?

A. Yes, after the break heals. In fact, a broken bone forms a callus or bone scar when it heals that is stronger than the rest of the bone, which should dispel any concerns about the safety of an adjustment. People who have had broken bones need chiropractic check-ups because accidents usually cause spinal subluxations.

Back to top.

Q. Can you help headaches & migraines?

A. The cause of painful headaches is usually found in the misalignment of the cervical spine (neck area). Since this usually occurs with a loss of the normal curve in the cervical spine, there is nerve interference (pinched nerves) blocking the healthy flow of information from the brain through the nervous system to the body. However, the normal cervical curve can be restored to the extent the body will allow through corrective chiropractic adjustments and cervical traction to eliminate the misalignments in the spine which were causing the headache.

Back to top.

Q. How does chiropractic help leg pain & sciatica?

A. In the area of the sciatic nerve and legs, when nerves get irritated and result in pain, a properly adjusted spine allows for relief of nerve irritation and, therefore, relief from painful problems. Many patients prefer gentle adjustments to the alternatives of pain injections and surgery.

Back to top.

Q. Is chiropractic care safe for pregnant women?

A. Absolutely. Pregnant women may find that chiropractic care helps the spine compensate for the extra weight by making it more resilient.

Back to top.